Shielded electrical switch



May 22, 1962 B. J. .KIENLEN ET AL SHIELDED ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed Nov. 10, 1960 mm m m .m W W {m .A K Jr 2 mm B W. 445 5 m 3 m w 0; a 5% w United States 3,036,169 SHIELDED ELECTRIQAL SWITCH Berthol J. Kienlen, Washington, D.C., and Norman G.

Hayward, Fairfax County, Va., assignors to Cooke Engineering Company, Alexandria, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 68,441 12 Claims. (Cl. 200--51.1)

' This invention relates to a shielded electrical switch.

In one specific embodiment, the switch includes two coaxial female connectors each of which has an aperture along its length for access therethrough to its respective inner conductor. These connectors are securely spaced apart so as to extend parallel to each other, and a third electrical conductor extends therebetweeu. This third conductor is releasably held with its ends in contact via the said apertures with the inner conductors of the female coaxial connectors. However, either or both ends of that third conductor may be taken out of contact with the respective inner conductor by mating one or two male coaxial connectors with the respective female connectors to overcome the bias on the third conductor end or ends. The third conductor end is thereby substantially removed from its aperture and the shield of the mated male connector is of suflicient length to close that aperture completely.

Numerous uses and advantages of this invention will be apparent from this specification. In general, the switch is a normal-through, shielded jack which provides very low cross-talk and noise pickup. It also provides good surge impedance characteristics up to the ultra-high frequency range, due to the separate shielding and isolation of all active conductors and the physical configuration which results in very low coupling.

An object of the present invention is, therefore, the provision of an improved shielded switch.

A further object is the provision of a switch of the shielded male-female connector type with the added provision of an aperture in the length of one of those connectors for receiving an electrical conductor biased into contact with the inner conductor of the apertured connector whereby mating of the connectors overcomes the bias, breaks said contact, closes said aperture, and makes contact between the inner conductors of the male and female connectors.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the appended claims and the following description of the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of this invention,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is an elevational 3-3 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view,

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinally cross-sectional view of the upper half of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG- URE 2 but without the male connectors inserted.

In the specific embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which like numbers in difierent figures designate like parts, the switch is comprised of four longitudinally extending electrical connectors 10, 12, 14, and 16. In each instance, these connectors include a shield insulatively surrounding an internal conductor. For example, as shown best in FIGURES 2 and 6, the female connectors 10 and 14 respectively have external shields 13 and surrounding their respective inner conductors 19 and 21, while the mating male connectors 12 and 16 respectively have external shields 22 and 24 surrounding their respective inner conductors 23 and 25. The associated inner conductors may be of the male-female view taken along line 3,036,169 Patented May 22, 1962 ice type with sufllcient length so that when the correspond ing male and female connectors are mated, their respec tive inner conductors are in electrical contact with each other, for example as illustrated in FIGURE 5 by the mating of the inner female conductor 19 of connector 10 and the inner male conductor 23 of connector 12. As above indicated, the internal conductors are insulated from their respective shields 18 and 22 by insulating material and 32 respectively. A like insulating condition exists in each of the connectors 14 and 16. In each instance, the insulating medium between isolated switch or relay contacts (inner conductors) and the associated shield or neutral conductor prevents the grounding or shorting to ground of either of the isolated contacts.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the specific embodiment of this invention is illustrated as a coaxial type switch, in that each of the connectors 1016 is a length of rigid coaxial connector. Connectors 10 and 14 may generally be referred to as coaxial jacks, while connectors 12 and 16 are referred to as coaxial plugs. As may be noted particularly in FIGURE 6 which illustrates the switch situation when plugs 12 and 16 are removed from their respective jacks 10 and 14, the internal connectors 19 and 21 of jacks 10 and 14 respectively, are shorted by an electrical bridging, and preferably substantially non-flexing, conductor 36 which extends transversely therebetween through a sleeve 38 of insulating material, for example plastic. As illustrated, sleeve 38 does not extend the full length of connector exposed for respective engagement with inner connectors 19 and 21. At the ends of sleeve 38 are respective insulating arms 40 and 42, also of plastic for example, each of which is pivoted on conductor 36 and independently pivotable on a shaft 43 extending between and secured in the upstanding ends 44 and 46 of a U-shaped bracket 43, which in turn is secured in any desired manner to shields 18 and 20. Sleeves 50, 52 and 54 around shaft 43 effect desired spacing of arms 40 and 42.

In order for the bridging electrical connector 36 to be able to make contact at either one of its ends with the respective inner conductor of the associated jack, the shield of that jack is transversely slotted, for example as at 56 and 58 in shields 18 and 20 respectively. Further, in order for arms 40 and 42 to move the ends of bridging connector 36 into the slots or apertures 56 and 58, the jack shields are further slotted, this time longitudinally as shown at 60 and 62. By virtue of spring 64- which is wrapped around sleeve 52 with one end pushing against bracket 48 and the other against a grooved central collar on sleeve 38, the ends of bridging connector 36 are releasably held or biased into contact with the inner conductors 19 and 21 to effect a shorting condition therebetween when plugs 12 and 16 are removed. On the other hand, when either one of plugs 12 and 16 is inserted, consider plug 12 for example, the forward edge or mating end of male shield 22 comes into contact with the underside of the respective arm 40, and pushes that arm upward and substantially out of its longitudinal aperture 60. This of course breaks contact between connector 36 and inner conductor 19. Furthermore, it moves that end of connector 36 substantially out of its transverse aperture 56, and shield 22 moves on forward to completely close both the transverse and longitudinal apertures 56 and 60. In other words, arm 40 is responsive to the mating end of shield 22 whlie plug 12 is being inserted, to overcome the bias of spring 64 and cause connector 36 to be disengaged from the inner conductor 19. At the same time however, unless male plug 16 is also inserted sufiiciently 36 but leaves the ends thereof into jack 14 to break contact of the other end of connector 36 and inner conductor 21, that end of connector 36 remains in contact with conductor 21 due to the biasing effect of spring 64.

It is therefore apparent that plug 12 may be inserted alone to disengage connector 36 only from the inner conductor 19 and effect connection between that inner connector and the inner connector 23 of plug 1-2, or alternatively, plug 16 may be inserted alone to effect connection of its internal conductor with that of jack 14 while breaking contact between connector 36 and inner conductor 21, but not inner conductor 19. If desired, both plugs may be inserted simultaneously or be in an inserted position concurrently, in which case the bridging connector 36 is completely out of contact with any of the inner conductors. In any case, the complete insertion of a plug causes the apertures which are in the length of the shield of the jack in which the plug is inserted, to be completely closed by the shield of the inserted plug.

Since the inactive or disengaged end of conductor 36 is removed from the shielded enclosure with the apertures therein being closed by the inserted plug, coupling and impedance variations as Well as stray pickup, are reduced if not completely eliminated. In particular, capacitive coupling is substantially eliminated between conductor 36 and the'inner conductor from which it is disconnected, by the insertion therebetween of a neutral conductor or potential barrier such as the male shield. By virtue of conductor 36 being at 90 relative to either of the inner conductors 19 and 21, inductive coupling therebetween is eliminated.

Preferably, the center conductors, for example 19 and 23, make contact after the cross conductor 36 breaks contact with conductor 19, though this switching arrangement may be reversed if desired. Considering one half of the dual switch, for example jack 1t and plug 12, it will be apparent that the end of connector 36 not associated with that half is terminated in a predetermined manner, specifically in contact with center conductor 21. Of course, the outer ends of the plugs and jacks may be fitted as desired tov make connection to flexible or other rigid shielded connectors as desired. Also, a friction latch (not shown) may be employed with the mated shields for example, to prevent accidental disconnect.

If desired, the overall switching area of the switch may be shielded, as indicated by the shielding can box 66, one end 68 of which may be secured to jacks and 14 with the rest of the box being such as to slide over the left (FIGURE 1) ends of jacks 1t) and 14 to complete the enclosure.

The switch of this invention has many uses as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, and Without limitation intended, two such switches may be employed on either side of a circuit component, say an amplifier, with the plugs normally removed. Then, whenever a quick substitution for that component is desired for any reason, a plug which is connected to the input of a substitute component is inserted in the firstin-circuit jack and a plug whichis connected to the output of the substitute component is inserted in the last-incircuit jack, thereby completing the substitution and allowing the circuit to operate via the substituted component.

Thus it is apparent that this invention successfully achieves the various objects and advantages herein set forth.

Modifications of this invention not described herein will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading this disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the matter contained in the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not limitative, the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical switch comprising a first longitudinally extending connector including a first electrical conductor and a first shield insulatively disposed around said conductor, said shield having an aperture disposed in its length for access therethrough to said conductor, an electrical contact releasably held in engagement with said conductor through said aperture, and means, comprising a second longitudinally extending connector which includes a second electrical conductor and a second shield insulatively disposed around said second conductor and matable with said first shield sufficiently to cause contact between said first and second conductors, for disengaging said electrical contact from said first conductor by moving said contact substantially out of said aperture and causing said aperture to be closed by said second shield when said first and second conductors are in contact.

. 2. An electrical switch as in claim 1 wherein said first and second shields are respectively of the male and female type.

3. An electrical switch as in claim 1 wherein in each of said first and second connectors is a coaxial connector.

4. An electrical switch as in claim 1 wherein said electrical contact is substantially non-flexible, is disposed transversely to the said first conductor, and is one end of a third electrical conductor, the other end of which is terminated in a predetermined manner.

5. An electrical switch as in claim 1 wherein said means includes an arm pivotally disposed on said first shield for pivoting said electrical contact into and out of said aperture, and including means for biasing said electrical contact into engagement with said first conductor, said arm being responsive to the mating end of said second shield while the shields are being mated to overcome the bias effected by said biasing means and pivotsaid electrical contact substantially out of said aperture.

6. An electrical switch comprising a first longitudinally extending connector including a first electrical conductor and a first shield insulatively disposed around said conductor, a second longitudinally extending connector including a second electrical conductor and a second shield insulatively disposed around said second conductor, said shields being matable and longitudinally movable relative to one another to make and break contact between said first and second electrical conductors, said first shield having an aperture disposed in its length for access therethrough to said first conductors, a third electrical conductor having one end biased into contact through said aperture with said first conductor, and means, operable in response to relative movement of said shields toward each other for purposes of making contact between said first and second electrical conductors, for moving said one end of the third electrical conductor substantially out of said aperture to allow said second shield to close said aperture when the shields are mated and the first and second conductors are in contact.

7. An electrical switch as in claim 6 wherein said means includes an arm pivotally disposed on said first shield for pivoting the said one end of said third electrical conductor into and out of said aperture, said arm being responsive to the mating end of said second shield while the shields are being mated to pivot said one end of the third electrical conductor substantially out of said aperture' 8. An electrical switch comprising a first longitudinally extending connector including a first electrical conductor and a first shield insulatively disposed around said conductor, a second longitudinally extending connector including a second electrical conductor and a second shield insulatively disposed around said second conductor, said shields being matable and longitudinally movable relative to one another to make and break contact between said first and second electrical conductors, said first shield having an aperture disposed in its length for access therethrough to said first conductor, a third electrical conductor terminated at one end in a predetermined manner with its other end being disposed so as to be movable into and out of said aperture, and means for releasably holding the said other end of said third conductor in said aperture and in contact with said first conductor, said means being responsive to said second connector, during relative movement of said shields toward each other for purposes of making contact between said first and second electrical conductor, to break contact between said other end and said first conductor and to move said third electrical conductor substantially out of said aperture, said second shield being of sufiicient length to close said aperture for providing complete shielding of said first and second conductors, when they are in contact, by said first and second shields.

9. An electrical switch comprising first and second 1ongitudinally extending connectors transversely spaced apart and respectively including first and second electrical conductors with respective first and second shields insulatively disposed around said conductors, each of said shields having an aperture disposed in its length for access therethrough to the respective said conductors, a third electrical connector extending substantially transversely from said first to said second connector and releasably held in engagement through said apertures with both of said conductors to efiect bridging therebetween, and means, comprising fourth and fifth longitudinally extending connectors respectively including fourth and fifth electrical conductors with fourth and fifth shields respectively and insulatively disposed around said fourth and fifith conductors for respectively mating with said first and second shields sufiiciently to cause contact between the first and fourth and between the second and fifth said conductors, for substantially removing said third connector from either of said apertures and causing each aperture from which the third connector is substantially removed to be closed by the respective one of the fourth and fifth shields.

10. An electrical switch as in claim 9 wherein the first and second connectors are of the female type, and the fourth and fifth connectors are of the male type.

11. An electrical switch as in claim 9 wherein said first, second, fourth, and fifth connectors are of the coaxial type.

12. An electrical switch as in claim 9 wherein said means further includes two arms pivotally disposed respectively on said first and second shields for independent- 1y holding opposite ends of said bridging third connector for movement of those ends into and out of said apertures respectively, and including means for biasing said ends of the bridging connector into engagement with said first and second conductors, said arms being responsive to the mating end of the respective fourth and fifth shields while those shields are being respectively mated with said first and second shields, to overcome the bias effected by said biasing means and pivot the respective end of the bridging connector out of the respective said aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,046,227 Seemann Dec. 3, 1912 1,047,744 Bundy Dec. 17, 1912 1,162,996 Farrel'ly et a1. Dec. 7, 1915 2,312,002 Schmitt Feb. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,452 Great Britain July 26, 1910 of 1909 696,687 Germany Sept. 26, 1940 

